Articles and News

By Bill Lydon, Editor, Automation.com The convergence of IT and OT, to create more effective operations throughout the company, was evident throughout the conference presentations and discussions, and this reflects many of the recent trends in the manufacturing industry.

Sercos International offers a means to evaluate the Sercos SoftMaster. Within minutes, Sercos-on-a-Stick converts almost every x86 based PC to a Sercos Master Test System, making it possible to realize real-time communication without hardware extensions

Prosys OPC and IOTech have agreed that IOTech's Edge Xpert offering will include an optional Prosys OPC UA Java SDK for developing the device services with OPC UA communications.

DCS selection for an industrial application is critical to the successful integration of plant assets, people & processes for improved business operations.

The partnership is intended to provide OPC UA Toolkits and extended consulting, training and development services to North America.

By Bill Lydon, Editor, Automation.com Cyber security remains a prominent concern for many organizations as we continue to move towards a connected industrial future. In this vein, Honeywell recently made a big commitment to Industrial Cyber Security at the 2017 Honeywell Users Group Americas,

By Bert Williams, ABB Wireless As we move toward industrial things being digital and connected, putting in place the right communications infrastructure is a critical piece of the Industrial Internet of Things (IIoT) equation. Connectivity is required to ensure that data is meaningful and actionable.

These automation and instrumentation solution providers will increase responsiveness to channel end users by offering local application engineering and product availability. The companies include Eastern Controls, Andrews Industrial, ControValve, CB Engineering and BBP.

With effective security controls, 4G LTE wireless technology can serve voice, video, and broadband industrial data and applications simultaneously.

By Bill Lydon, Editor, Automation.com A common topic of debate revolves around how process system architectures will be shaped in the future. One architectural vision would enable a shift of focus from process efficiency control to business performance control, with increasing levels of monitoring and control.

OSADL coordinates the development and funding of open source projects on behalf of its members, who enjoy many benefits, including quality assurance, software development, technology support, legal compliance, marketing, training, and above all support in licensing in the form of legal support through the OSADL general counsel, auditing, and certification

By Robert Miller and John Browett, CLPA While there may still be some debate about what Industry 4.0 really means, there is no denying that greater interconnectivity of devices and increased network capability will be the key drivers behind achieving the goals it sets out. This article outlines the network requirements that will enable Industry 4.0.

The data clearly shows that OT networks are ripe targets for adversaries, whose motives range from criminal intent to operational disruption and even threats to human and environmental safety

By Bill Lydon, Editor, Automation.com While industrial automation suppliers can claim products are cybersecure it is hard to prove. Standards and certification, like electrical and safety device requirements, today for cybersecurity are one such way for companies to illustrate that proof.

RSA has certified PAS Cyber Integrity as interoperable with RSA NetWitness Suite. Industrial process companies that have RSA NetWitness can access security intelligence for both corporate and process control networks (PCNs) via a single application.

A record 575 teams, made up of more 2,500 students, including 116 all-female and 45 cadet teams from across the country have registered to participate, marking a more than threefold increase over last year.

By: Alan Cone, Siemens Industry, Inc. The data revolution is firmly underway within today’s manufacturing industry. Those companies that capture their “big data” and leverage that analyzed data as a framework for making faster, better decisions will lead the industry in productivity and time to market.

PROCENTEC will provide training courses for PROFIBUS and PROFINET on various itsme-locations in the Netherlands. The offer includes free product training, Troubleshooting & Maintenance training and PI International Certified Engineer and Installer courses.

The Industry 4.0 Demonstrator highlights how process and device data are made available both locally via the real-time bus and also via OPC UA for a range of application scenarios in a uniform and cross-manufacturer manner.

According to the study, optimism among industry executives for the potential of the Industrial Internet is striking. Eighty percent believe the IIoT could be transformational to their companies and industries. At the same time, only 8 percent of those executives say digital transformation is ingrained in their businesses, and 10 percent do not have a digital transformation plan in place.